Members: Blake Witter, Addison McClelland, Addison Higginbotham, Berkeley Long, Carmella Aulet, and Ana Owen

What is your take action project focused on? The overall goal of our project is to increase awareness of sustainable sources of protein, such as insects, and to promote their adoption in our community through the incorporation of it in a local business’s menu or event.

Why did your group choose this focus for your project? Because it promotes environmental sustainability, reduces the ecological impact of Western diets, and encourages innovating approaches to meeting society’s protein needs.

What has the project process looked like up to this point? We drove awareness and gathered insights through targeted marketing, meetings with local businesses, extensive research, and hands-on product development including baking and testing recipes with cricket flour.

Why is your project important (especially environmentally)? The use of insects as a main source of protein in our diets provides lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions, efficient Feed Conversion, Less Water and Land Use, and Waste Reduction. Many insect species are rich in essential amino acids, healthy fats (omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids), and vital micronutrients, also contain vast amounts of protein.